As many of you know, we appreciate all the little things in life. As we drove around Hooksett last week, making many stops along the way, we started to notice some interesting stuff around every corner. So of course we decided to photograph what we found to share will all of you. Enjoy!

As you have clearly seen thus far, we used part of last week to explore as much of Hooksett as we could. Since this was a day trip, there was only so many hours in the day to enjoy the sights and sounds of Concord’s (and Bow’s) neighbor to the south. We tried to do a comprehensive look at what a typical day tripper would expect to do when spending the day in a new place. So we covered the food (and beer), we had loads of fun and we...

The League of N.H. Craftsmen recently opened Pushing the Limits, a new exhibit in its 49 S. Main St. gallery. Like most of the League’s shows, it’s a multi-media exhibit that features creations of juried craftsmen, who just so happen to be showcasing work that forced them to go outside their comfort zone. The show is on display through June 23, and there’s lots to see.

If you have kids in your life who love the outdoors – and fish – then there’s a perfect event for them coming up this Saturday: Youth Fishing Day. The event, put on by Basil Woods Trout Unlimited, will take place at Merrill Park Pond, right next to Quality Cash Market on Eastman Street, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. And it’s free. As its name implies, this is a day all about getting kids into fishing. There will be rods, tackle, bait (do you...

The world premiere of the full-length play, The Truth Will Spring Yuh, opens at the Hatbox Theatre on Friday and runs through May 14. The Truth Will Spring Yuh is a modern gothic tale by New Hampshire playwright Donald Tongue. The Truth Will Spring Yuh was initially conceived as a 10-minute “play about a tablecloth” at theatre KAPOW’s 24 Hour Play Festival in October 2013. With only eight hours to write it, Tongue began with a single...

The city of Concord’s spring leaf collection began Monday and will continue through June 3. Concord residents with curbside trash and recycling collection can place an unlimited amount of leaves and grass clippings curbside by 7 a.m. on their trash collection day for pickup during the six-week program. Residents participating in spring leaf collection must place leaves in biodegradable yard waste bags or labeled rigid containers....

Lovers of baseball rejoice, Concord Little League is about to embark on another season. After being delayed a week – thanks to a couple late season snowstorms – the opening day festivities are slated for Saturday, which is when you can catch the first games of the season. The annual kick-off begins at 9 a.m. at Grappone Park. There will be a parade with the more than 300 players spanning the league’s four levels marching along, and...

As you well know, we sure do love art here at the Insider. We may not be able to create it or actually know a whole lot about it, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate fine works when we see them. And if you’re like us, there’s a couple receptions this week to celebrate local shows that you won’t want to miss. Thanks to Mother Nature and some late winter snow, the public get-together for McGowan Fine Art’s most recent show was...

Learn the best way to plan a vacation Trying to plan a vacation, but don’t know where to start, where to go or how to budget? AARP New Hampshire is offering Travel for the 50-plus on May 6. Travel expert and columnist Chase Binder will share her experiences and recommendations for the 50-plus traveler. The hour-long presentation will be held at AARP New Hampshire, 45 S. Main St. No. 202, from 9 to 10 a.m. Her presentation will cover a...

Stay Work Play has partnered with young professionals networks throughout New Hampshire to host local nonprofit fairs for the third annual Stay Work Play Give event. The six events will be held on May 3 across the state. Stay Work Play Give is similar to a traditional career fair, but instead of jobs, the goal is to connect nonprofits with college students and young professionals looking to become more civically involved in their...

April 25, 1893: Edward H. Brooks is born in Concord. A graduate of Concord High and Norwich University, he will serve in both world wars, rising to the rank of lieutenant general. A highlight of his long, distinguished career will be leading the Second Armored Division onto Omaha Beach. His division will also be the first Allied force to enter Belgium. April 25, 1902: The statue of Commodore George H. Perkins of Hopkinton is...

Once again, Concord has a jam-packed schedule of local music to be heard all over the city. And once again, we found out about as many shows as we could to pass along all that juicy info to you. Here’s a sampling: Thursday At Penuche’s, there will be a mini festival of sorts, with Wrongtown Presents: Rippin’ E Brakes, Beechwood and Tough Guy. Bands generally go on about 9 p.m., and there’s a cover charge that’s usually $3 but can vary...

His Bloody Project Graeme Macrae Burnet 2016, 280 pages Fiction In 1869, three people are found murdered in a remote Scottish farming community. Roderick Macrae has admitted to the crime, but what has led him to this project? The narrative is presented as a collection of documents discovered by the author, including witness statements, crime scene reports and Roderick’s own testimony. The villagers have conflicting views about...

This year, we decided to give the Easter Bunny the day off for the big holiday. Instead, we went and did some shopping for ourselves. After all, if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. Here’s a little sampling of some of the Easter basket items we picked out for ourselves.

We’ve tasted tested all kinds of food. Breakfast, lunch and dinner options. Dishes that are simple and others you may find a little too outside the box. And we’ve written about desserts as options around certain holidays, and even incorporated a few into our meal features. But to the best of our knowledge, there’s never been an exclusive story about candy, and more importantly, tasting it. Since Easter is one of the biggest candy...

As far as we’re concerned, last weekend’s second annual Easter Eggstravaganza was the unofficial kickoff to the Easter festivities in Concord. The ConcordTV fundraiser had more Easter baskets than we’ve ever seen in one place, a great lineup of live music and, of course, direct access to the Easter Bunny.

Now in its 15th year, Concord Reads is a pretty big deal. It was started by a group of residents – who partnered with the Concord Public Library – to encourage citizens of all ages and backgrounds to read and discuss the themes and ideas in the same book. Since early February, the library has been hosting movie screenings, discussions and even a trivia night that all have a connection with this year’s book of choice, Adrift: 76 Days...

We always thought a hood was an important piece of an automobile – you know, to keep safe all those vital parts that make a car drive. But apparently that’s not the case – at least for this Geo Prizm we saw on a rainy day last week. Maybe you see cars without hoods quite often, but this might be the first one we’ve seen – outside of the movies.

The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Concord Young Professionals Network introduces you to another Young Professional of the Month, Heidi Schmidt. How old are you? 29. Where do you live? Manchester. Where do you work? NHTI – Concord’s Community College. Where did you go to school? SNHU and NHTI. What do you like to do for fun? I enjoy shopping and going to the beach in the summertime. Favorite places to be? The ocean. Last book...

NHTI’s Campus Activities Board’s annual Spring Comedy Show is bringing Jimmy Dunn to campus on Friday with opener Kelly MacFarland. Dunn is an actor and stand-up comedian from Boston, who recently co-starred on the CBS comedy The McCarthys as Sean McCarthy. He got his start in the comedy world telling jokes at a bar in Gloucester, Mass., where he was paid in beer and fried clams (not a bad gig, if you ask us). Since then, Dunn has...

Despite the snow to start the month and rainy weather last week, baseball season in Concord is right around the corner. We promise. The high school team was slated to take the field for the opener this week, while Concord Little League has its opening day on the schedule for April 29, after moving it back a week. And one way Concord Little League is trying to get its 300 or so players excited about the upcoming year is by holding a...

With the Big Bicycle Project set to debut all around Concord on May 6, Kimball Jenkins Estate is hosting an exhibit which – as you can see – is all about bikes. The exhibit, which will be on display through April, features antique bikes dating as far back as the 1880s, along with a variety of bicycle advertisements and pictures that all have to do with bikes. So to get yourself ready for the influx of bicycle art, it might be a good...

The Capital Area Student Leadership program encourages students to become active, effective participants and leaders in their schools and community. This year’s group of 25 was announced in January, and last month the CASL students took part in a communications day, where they each answered a few questions from program organizers. During the course of this year’s program, students enjoyed quality interaction with the likes of Gov....

The Undoing Project Michael Lewis 2016, 259 pages Genre: Memoir Michael Lewis’s most recent work, The Undoing Project, is an exploration of the human decision-making process through the research and lives of two remarkable psychologists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. Kahneman and Tversky had very different personalities, but the unlikely duo collaborated to make groundbreaking discoveries in their field. Their insightful research...

Homebuying class at NHFCU Saturday New Hampshire Federal Credit Union is hosting a free Homebuying 101 class on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon. Thinking about buying a home? Join us for this class to review the pros and cons of homeownership, better understand the mortgage process and discuss the long term costs and considerations when shopping for your home and home loan. For more info, visit nhfcu.org/interior.php/ pid/13/eid/219 or...

April 11, 1793: A tragedy called The Revenge plays at the Town House, on the current site of the Merrimack County Courthouse. It is the first play to be staged in Concord. The city’s Mirrour called it “a virtuous, sentimental and rational amusement to the respectable inhabitants of the town.” April 11, 1984: Fire ravages the 125-year-old St. Paul’s church in Concord, leaving only the walls, bell tower and half the roof intact....

I have had four adventurous years since leaving the Concord area to attend school in upstate New York. But now that I’m back in New Hampshire interning for the Insider (and Monitor), I set out to rediscover the area where I grew up. So, armed with a camera and list of Concord hot-spots, I met up with my friend and fledgling photographer Tim Berube to see what Concord has to offer. A lot can change in four years. Our day of adventure...

Author event at Gibson’s Sunday On Sunday at 2 p.m., Zoie Little visits Gibson’s Bookstore to present Black, White, or Other, her first-hand experience growing up with what it feels like to not fit in and be put down because the color of her skin. Little had to work through the emotional setback of being adopted and knowing her other siblings were not. Black, White, or Other was written to be read by those who have gone through or are...

Insider staff When it comes to dancing in front of others, we like to refrain as much as possible. If you’ve seen us bust a move, then you know exactly what we’re talking about. But the exact opposite can be said for the 14 dancers that make up the St. Paul’s School Ballet Company. The whole point of the ballet company is to perform in front of others and you can see it on display this weekend. That’s when they’ll put on their spring...

Insider staff When we first heard about Hatbox Theatre, the idea of a performance space in a former mall store intrigued us. And when we learned how quickly things were going to take shape to be ready for opening night, which was slated for April Fools Day, we needed to know more. But instead of just describing what Hatbox Theatre was going to be, we wanted the full experience. And what better way than to take in opening night. When...